THE EPSOM AND ASCOT MEETINGS.-BY CRAVEN LEATHERLUNGS the "Leg.”—BY THE EDITOR SPORTING PICTURES. (HUGO MEYNELL ESQ.)—BY COMPILER. A FRAGMENT FROM A CREEL LEDGER.-BY WILL WHOOP THE CUTITFAT HOUNDS.-BY BEE'S-WING A VISIT TO JACKSON'S HUNTING AND GENERAL RIDING AND PYTCHLEY HUNT-CATTERICK BRIDGE-CROXTON PARK- WARWICK SPRING MEETING HAMPTON SPRING MEETING BURTON CONSTABLE-NOTTINGHAM-BIBURY (OLD COURSE) — NEWMARKET CRAVEN MEETING-DURHAM-BATH AND SOMER- 1 T Hereford Fair, Cambridge Com.r 3 4926 1m2911 47 s 8 1827 2 12 0 16 0 42 2 W WINCHESTER RACES. 3 T Dog Days begin. 4 F Cambridge Term ends. 5 S Oxford Term ends. r3 50 28 2 59 1 7 1 29 6 Sebenth Sunday after Trinity.s 8 16 2 4 r 3 56 59 54 4 45 5 1 7 26 7 54 8 25 8 58 13 Eighth Sunday after Trinity.r 4 16 W LIVERPOOL RACES. Mat.R.T.Y.C.s 8 211 0 9 9 32 10 8 r 4 r 4 r 4 r 4 1219 9 40 3 44 5 5 s 7 59 20 10 4 5 29 5 50 18 FOverton and Huntingdon Fairs. s 8 19 S CRICK.M. C.C. v. Harrow, at Har. r 4 20 Ninth Sunday after Trinity. s 8 21 M DUDLEY AND TIPTON RACES. 22 T CORK HARBOUR REGATTA. 23 W NEWTON AND IPSWICH RACES. 24 T TEWKESBURY RACES. 25 F Saint James. HARWICH REG.r 4 1521 10 30 6 13 6 35 26 S WESTMIN. & ETON 8-oar Match. s 7 56 22 10 58 27 Tenth Sunday after Trinity. r 4 182311 32 28 M NORTH FL. (GRAVESEND) REG.S 7 5324 morn. 29 T GOODWOOD RACES. 30 W WEYMOUTH REGATTA. 31 T GOODWOOD CUP DAY. 15 Wenlock.................. 25 2 Guildford................. 15 Oldham............................... 25 16 Goodwood.. 30 Newmarket................... 8 Stamford.................. 16 Leominster.............. 8 Dudley and Tipton......... 21 Bridgnorth. ......... 31 Worcester............................ 8 Ipswich..... THE EPSOM AND ASCOT MEETINGS. THE TURF IN THE SUMMER OF 1845. Was it by grace of a prayer, couched in the spirit of the motto, that the legs first obtained licence to drive their dreadful trade, as certain paupers in Scotland were formerly granted permission to beg, and cadets of condition are still conventionally allowed the run of great people's kitchens? Nobody will contend that the presence of professional speculators was either useful or ornamental to the turf; or that the establishment called "the ring," whose acting members, to the amount of a hundred or more, each of them drew two or three thousand pounds annually from its funds for his expences, to say nothing of the fortunes many of them retired with, could tend to enrich the system of horse-racing. Some desperate fatuity, if not something more discreditable, appears, since my experience of them, to have hung over the policy of those who directed the economy of our racing. For the last five-and-twenty years this has grown worse, while every other social arrangement was making rapid strides in amelioration. No doubt it is the peculiarity of the English character, that in the proportion in which it is individually wise and sagacious, collectively it is foolish and obtuse. A body of men, from "a house" at St. Stephen's to a vestry at Walbrook, or anywhere else, perpetrate acts with impunity-nay, éclat-which, had any one of them attempted in his own family, he would most certainly have found his way to a private asylum at Hoxton or Chelsea. Upon this principle only can I account for the things done by the Jockey Club-a society formed for the most part of gentlemen of as high consideration as any in the land. "God sends meat," says the homely proverb, "and the devil sends cooks." Without meaning it coarsely, the Jockey Club are the cooks, who, having the turf in hand, have made a pretty "hash" of it. It is my earnest wish to bring about a better day for one of the noblest, most characteristic, and most popular of our national sports; and therefore, if I run ultra fines, let my zeal be my plea for breaking bounds. I know this will be read by those on whose conduct it may seem to animadvert. In all courtesy, I beg they will believe I intend them no offence. On the contrary, I would turn aside from them much public obloquy which attaches to their existing position. There is no gainsaying the fact that plain people look on the horse-racing circles with scanty consideration: that they gauge them on the "Tell me who you go with, and I'll tell you who you are" principle. Now let us deal with this question in the spirit rather than the letter of discussion. With what object, to what end do men, chivalrously careful of their associates elsewhere, countenance and confederate with individuals come of the dregs of society, brutal of manners, and unscrupulous of morals? Let this not be met with denial of its truth. I solemnly appeal to all having experience of the turf, whether, on Newmarket Heath or at the metropolitan rendezvous for betting, they have not witnessed such unholy alliances? It may be invidious to particularize a case; but let one, which is now beyond the reach of greater damage, be quoted as a sample of the system. Would the robbery attempted on the Derby of 1844 have ever been concerted unless the parties by whom it was got up had been put into the condition to turn it to account by the countenance and acknowledgment of the leaders of the turf? Will it be denied that lords and commons have betted with the chief actor in that consummate plot of rascality? or that, when so betting, they knew him to be a common dicer, one whose daily bread depended on his luck at the hazard table? And is this an isolated case? Are there not shoals in the ring, known to every man that frequents race-courses as living on the prey drawn within its vortex? It will be seen that within the last twelve months various schemes to swindle the public by means of the turf have been brought to light. Who were the agents? the noblemen and gentlemen engaged in racing for patriotic purposes or wholesome recreation? In every instance we shall find the contriver or the inciter a leg or a commissioner, or a jockey or a tout, or some parasite of the turf, absolutely trained, by those assuming its care, to twine around it, and rob it of "the means whereby it lives." What wonder that the respect of plain people is drawn from a society that could sanction such a state of affairs as this, or that all who wish well to British racing look suspiciously on the Jockey Club, and ask "Is it an enemy hath done this thing?" EPSOM MEETING. It was long since so unindicative a spring had preceded the great metropolitan meeting, as that of 1845. Last season, indeed, was not prolific of flyers, but Ratan was generally believed a superior horse, and barring that the Newmarket trainers cannot try—(which very recent events give fair grounds for suspecting) he had been in the balance, and, as they assured us, was not wanting. The Ugly Buck was supported by the "brass" of the stable-as the vulgar call coin-and the slang, "courage," or " countenance." I always pronounced him an impostor, but that is all over now. The three first meetings at Newmarket, though they considerably affected the winter betting, left apparently the Derby pretty much where it was. When such nags as Plenipo, Bay Middleton, or Glencoe come out, even over its flat, it does not require a man with a lantern to look after their fortunes. But these are the exceptions to its produce and performance. Still Idas won all his races, and his party cried out, "What more do you want?" They apparently wanted no more, but went into the market, and backed him through thick and thin; and then naturally he went up in the odds. As usual, there were unpleasant facts as heralds of the Surrey tryst: a colt called Ironmaster, made a racer of high form, upon strength of the achievement of a stable-companion-according to the logic of the ring-was declared to be disqualified, by verdict of the Jockey Club, for the Derby, or some confession of an individual who had previously called Diana to witness he was fully entitled to start. Folks, morever, could not account for the ducks |